I have this issue with my iPhone and thought it was just getting tired and old, but my brand new iPad does the same. Why do things like "Epicurious" just close when you click on one of the menu items? Very annoying!!
This is a recurring issue with some apps. I find that re-setting the system usually causes this issue to disappear. (re-set by clicking the sleep/wake button (top right) and the home button (square button - bottom center)
The one major reason why apps close is due to a lack of RAM. So to avoid further crashes, it is helpful to either:
-restart the iPad
-close large apps via the multitaskbar